Avondale Shipyard. Avondale Shipyard was an independent shipbuilding company, acquired by Litton Industries, in turn acquired by Northrop Grumman Corporation. In 2011, along with the former Ingalls Shipbuilding, the yard was part of Huntington Ingalls Industries. It closed in October 2014. The yard was located on the west bank of the Mississippi River in an area called Bridge City, approximately 20 miles upriver from New Orleans, Louisiana near Westwego, Louisiana. It was the site of the modernization of the battl