Walking on Shimanami Kaido - is it worth it?

Hi!

We will be going to Hiroshima and I keep seeing beautiful pictures from the Shimanami Kaido. I know that most people go by bicycle, but that is impossible for us. My mom can't ride a bicycle.

Is it worth it to walk on the road for like 5-7 kilometers from Onomichi and then return? Are there some beautiful views in that area?

Also, can we expect there to be many people on bicycles during a weekday? From what I've seen in the pictures, the road is quite narrow. It would be a pain to be careful not to be hit by a bicycle every 3 seconds.

Thanks in advance!

Which date?

Take a ferry fr Hiroshima to Matsuyama first
http://setonaikaikisen.co.jp/language/en/
then back to ShinOnomichi or Fukuyama stn by Expway bus via Shimanami kaido after Sunset Twilight/Magic hour.
http://www.iyotetsu.co.jp/bus/kousoku/hiroshima.html?p=timetable

Shimanami Kaido :
http://www.go-shimanami.jp/global/english/
http://www.oideya.gr.jp/imatan/spot/kirosan/

I have ridden the Shimanami Kaido and plan to do so again next spring but I would say it isn't worth the walk. There are plenty of good routes in Onomichi itself if your Mom can cope with steps/slopes. You can look at these on Google streetview. They are north of the railway & east of the station

If you want some nice views walking, I would suggest you go to Imabari. You can go to Itoyama park at sunrise or sunset and enjoy the magnificent view.

You could also go on bus to Umashima, which lies below the big bridge. It is quite funny because the bus stops in the middle of the bridge and you take an elevator to the island. Then you can walk around the island. There are also some hotels there. It is possible to go on foot to the island but I would not recommend it since the winds are strong and you would go in the same path as bicyles.

Imabari - and you can buy some towels ;0)

It's a long trip to Imabari if you start in Hiroshima. Onomichi, Takehara or even Kurashiki are easier to reach.

Not worth at all, the first km from Onomichi are not interesting, many ship factories. Instead of walking why don't you pick a ferry and try to reach Setoda town, it's very beautiful place, you can go either by ferry or bus from Onomichi

I walked from Onomichi to Imabari. It took 2 days.
The best view was Kurushima Kaikyo Bridge between Imabari and Oshima. It's the opposite side of Imabari.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurushima-Kaiky%C5%8D_Bridge  

We were going to cycle from Imabari, unfortunately my partner had issue with bike riding, we ended up walking the Kurushima Kaikyo Bridge. It was a beautiful sunny day, which made the view from the bridge more beautiful and the walk enjoyable. We walked about an hour and decided to return to Imabari and headed for the Towel museum, Ichihiro.
Is it worth it? In our case yes, as we spent the day visiting the Ichihiro as well. However, if you are planning to visit the bridge only, unless you are already in the neighbourhood, I would say no.

Thank you very much everyone for the replies!