This is the conversion of existing state roads, paid for by all Texans, given to local "authorities" to convert to toll roads. It hasn't been shut down, the lege didn't add any language to do so and it's quid pro quo for the Trans-Texas boondoggle along with Perry throwing in bones for their precious mass transit projects. (You are new to Texas politics I see).
But hey, if you think this state spends it's money wisely and there's no other alternative but to build toll roads then by all means think that, it'd be a first for goobermint, but it ain't got no basis in reality; state road tax money, which has gone up in the last six years, has gone to H&HS rather than to roads.. Please show me the line items in the state budget that disputes that.
Every single one of those projects is a new road or an expansion. Not a single existing lane will be converted to tolls. So your statement is false, no 'bought and paid for roads' are being 'given' to local authorities to 'covert' to toll roads. Now some planned roads are having their mainlanes built as tollways instead of free lanes, but the reason is to speed up construction. The money wasn't there for completion as free roads, and thus those mainlanes wouldn't have been built in most cases for another 10-20 years. By turning to toll financing many of those projects will be finished in the next 1-5 years.